Launching Into Eternity

Some nine-year-old children were asked what they thought about death and dying. A boy named Jim said, “When you die, they bury you in the ground and your soul goes to heaven, but your body can’t go to heaven because it’s too crowded up there already.” One girl provided this interesting insight into eternity: “Only the good people go to heaven. The other people go to where it’s hot all the time like in Florida.” These sage words came from a kid named John. “Maybe I’ll die someday, but I hope I don’t die on my birthday ’cause it’s no fun to celebrate your birthday if you’re dead.” And this deeply profound thought from a girl named Marsha. “When you die, you don’t have to do homework in heaven, unless your teacher is there, too.” (My sincere apologies to any teacher who thinks I’m commenting on where teachers will spend eternity.)

Somebody had to ask these children what they thought about death. It’s not something that we normally talk about. Whether we’re nine or ninety, we tend to keep this subject on the back burner.

So, I ask your permission to bring this topic to the front burner for a few moments. I would like to use this letter to talk to you about death. Specifically, I want to talk to you about the last time that you will give the reason for the hope that you have.

Okay. You and I will have one last opportunity to witness to our faith in Jesus Christ. That final witness will be given: by the way that we handle dying, by the way in which we have ordered our earthly affairs, and through our funeral service.

Martin Luther had some wise things to say about the first two of these. It’s too bad that in regard to his earthly affairs, he didn’t heed his own words. He did not put his financial affairs in order prior to his death, leaving his wife, Katie, in a less than desirable position.

In regard to dying well, Luther wrote a sermon in 1519 simply titled, “A Sermon on Preparing to Die.” This sermon was shared with the pastors of the circuit recently by Pastor Bryce Bereuter of Calvary Lutheran. Here are some of Luther’s thoughts that came out of that presentation:

• Put your temporal goods in order for the sake of your survivors.
• Forgive all and seek forgiveness.
• Become familiar with death.
• At the hour of death, our sins seem greater, clouding our good works and making us unwilling to die. Hell looms larger. This is the devil’s work. He taunts us with thoughts of unworthiness, even as Jesus was taunted and mocked when He was dying.
• At the hour of death, see Christ who was eternally damned for you, descended into hell, and did for us a victory dance in Satan’s capitol city.
• How good it is to receive the Lord’s Supper when dying. There we receive Christ Himself to fight against the devil and the images he puts before us.
• In the hour of death, know that you are not alone but in union with those whose eyes are upon you: the Lord and His holy angels.

Of the third part of our final witness, Luther made no mention in his 1519 sermon. That leaves me to say it for him. Write down what you would want to have in your funeral service. Put in as much detail as possible. Then, file that information with the church office.

Here’s why. Your funeral service is your last witness to your faith. What do you want to say? From my side of the pew, I can tell you that when I put together a funeral service the first resource I look to is the congregation member’s personal file. At Immanuel, in the big safe that’s in the church office we keep pieces of paper on which our members have written down their biographical information and funeral service requests. That’s the first place, and probably the only place, a pastor will know to look for funeral service input. I have even had pastors call me for this kind of information on my former members.

Now, perhaps you would like to leave the planning of such a service to your family and the pastor. That is perfectly okay. But if this letter has caused you to do some reflecting, then, perhaps, you will join me in filling out the form I am enclosing with this newsletter. I am going to fill out mine. And let’s get these forms turned in to the church office.

Now, aren’t you curious about what Luther meant when he said, “Become familiar with death”? I’d like to talk more about this, but I will save it for another time.

May the God of hope, who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep, sustain and strengthen your hope in Christ, and keep you ready to give the reason for your hope.

The Changing Colors of the Altar Paraments

Have you noticed that the familiar green on the altar, pulpit, and lectern is slowly being retired? On Reformation Sunday we had red on the altar. For All Saints Day, there is white. In several weeks, the green will completely disappear in favor of blue.

The changing colors of the altar paraments may make some curious. What do the colors mean, and why do we keep changing them? Others may think the changing colors are unimportant. However, the changing colors on the altar are supposed to tell the story of our salvation. So, it is worthwhile to review the colors of the church year from time to time, both those we use at Immanuel and those that are gaining in popularity.

Let’s start with red, since it was just on the altar. Red stands for fire, power, and the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s little wonder, then, that red is used on Pentecost Sunday, Reformation, and every time a pastor is ordained or installed. On those particular days, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit works through the proclaimed Word both to create and to mature our faith in Christ. 

Red stands, also, for blood. So, in order to make a distinction between Palm Sunday/Maundy Thursday and all of the other days that red is used, many churches are now using scarlet. This is to remind us in Holy Week of Jesus’ blood shed for our salvation.

White stands for purity. It is used for more major festivals in the church year than any other color. It is used also for the seasons of Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter. Through Jesus’ birth, His light going forth to the Gentile nations, and His triumphant resurrection from death and the grave, we hear the message: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.”

So, can you imagine churches using anything but white for Easter? Yet, some churches are changing to the color gold for Easter Sunday only. Gold stands for splendor, worth, and value, as in the precious metal of gold. “The golden Festival of the Resurrection is the event that gives our lives value and worth” (Escue).

Blue is the color used in the season of Advent. Blue stands for hope, because it makes us think of a clear blue sky. In Advent, we remember Jesus will return on the last day of time from the same blue sky into which He ascended. That is the promise which gives us hope.

Purple is used in the season of Lent. It stands for penitence. In the world in which Jesus lived, only royalty and the rich could afford to wear purple clothing. Jesus Himself wore purple only once: when the Roman soldiers clothed Him in purple to mock His claim of being a king. So, purple is placed on the altar in Lent as a reminder of the torment and suffering Jesus endured on the way to dying for us. It calls us to repentance.

Black is still another penitential color, used only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Since black denotes the absence of color or light, it reminds Christians of when the sky went dark while Jesus hung upon the cross. Since black paraments are rare, many churches leave the altar bare on Good Friday.

Green stands for life and growth. It’s the color we see on the altar through the lengthy season of Pentecost. Green speaks of our need to grow and mature as disciples of Jesus Christ. This growth occurs through our constant use of the means of grace: Word of God, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.

The changing colors of the altar paraments are like the colors one sees when holding up a glass prism to light. The different colors of the rainbow are really different facets of one thing: light. So also, the different colors of the church seasons are actually different facets of the one story of salvation: the Light of the World, Jesus Christ giving life to His Bride, the Church through His crucifixion, death, and resurrection.

Pastor Jim Dunn

A Letter to Immanuel

Dear Members & Friends of Immanuel,

I thank you for the very warm welcome you have given me, as your new pastor. I wish to thank those men who helped me move my many boxes of books into the Pastor’s study: Carl Hepting, Jeff Kane, Jim Scott, Bob Luetjen, Tom Hawkins, Dick Buchholz, Don Kraft, and Rich Saeger.

I wish to thank also all of the ladies of Immanuel who worked on the Installation Dinner. The Installation Service and Dinner were tremendous reminders of both the love of God’s people and the powerful ways in which the Holy Spirit works.

At the service, Pastor Cliff Koenig preached a powerful sermon, titled “Put Your Foot in the Water,” based on Joshua 3:9-17. It’s the account of Israel crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land at a time when the river was at flood stage. That was no gently flowing stream. It was a challenge to their trust in the Lord. So is it also a challenge for Immanuel and myself to enter into this new chapter together. But we have the promise of the same grace the Lord extended to Israel that day at the Jordan (see again verses 15 and 16).

As I write this, I am completing my fourth week with you. Already the Holy Spirit is providing Immanuel connections with the students of the University of Missouri Kansas City. Four students from UMKC have been attending Sunday worship at Immanuel faithfully: Victoria Brown, Anthony Rodgers, Bathabile Vellah (a Lutheran pastor’s kid from Zimbabwe), and Pamela Auinbauh.

The Holy Spirit is providing opportunities for us to support and minister to them. One of those opportunities was made possible by a chance meeting with Shan-Ken Chien, a doctoral student at UMKC from Taiwan. (Although, as we know, there is no coincidence. As someone has said, “Coincidence is a God-scheduled opportunity.” [Scott Hamilton]) He obtained some tickets for us, and seven of us from Immanuel attended the UMKC Conservatory Orchestra’s first performance of the season on September 18th. Victoria and Anthony were among the orchestra members.

While I’m still thinking about Immanuel’s UMKC student ministry, I want to thank Lisa Williams for making Immanuel’s website the best in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Visitor after visitor tells us that they found out about Immanuel through the website.

Two other areas that Immanuel has targeted for emphasis are its ministry to Immanuel Manor and the lofts at the Plaza. In regard to the first, a Bible study at the Manor is starting on September 28th. Much thanks go to Rosetta Ratliff for helping me put my foot in the water regarding this ministry. Please keep this and all three ministry emphases in your daily prayers.

Finally, it is good to be here with you in Kansas City. May God bless us richly, members and friends of Immanuel, as together we put our foot in the water.

In Christ,

Pastor Jim Dunn